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Has anyone seen these BMX Products invoices before?
Have fun
John Brain
My original BMX Products Motomag invoices. 1975 and 1976.
by John Brain
03 June 2012 - 05:01 AM
Post #1
I thought people would find this interesting. I just came across my original invoices for a set of Motomag 1s that I bought in mid 1975 and early 1976. I bought them by mail order. The 1976 invoice is cool because of all the parts and kits listed. My Motomag rear wheel is a Simi Pat.Pending while the front wheel is a Simi with the patent# on it, whats interesting is that the front wheel invoice is from Chatsworth, but the wheel is a Simi with the Pat.# on it.
Has anyone seen these BMX Products invoices before?
Have fun
John Brain
Has anyone seen these BMX Products invoices before?
Have fun
John Brain
MultiQuote
03 June 2012 - 08:17 AM
Post #2
03 June 2012 - 12:44 PM
Post #3
03 June 2012 - 12:48 PM
Post #4
Wow! Very early BMX in Canada! Did you have a track there in '75? Also, post pics of your completed bike with the Motomags if you've got 'em!
Richard Vogt
bmxmountainbiker
Richard Vogt
bmxmountainbiker
03 June 2012 - 04:59 PM
Post #5
Richard Vogt - bmxmountainbiker, on 03 June 2012 - 07:48 AM, said:
Wow! Very early BMX in Canada! Did you have a track there in '75? Also, post pics of your completed bike with the Motomags if you've got 'em!
Richard Vogt
bmxmountainbiker
Richard Vogt
bmxmountainbiker
Thanks everyone for the positive words.
I was in Jr. High in 1974/75. living near Toronto. There were no organized races at this time where I lived(that I knew of), it was all very informal. No BMX accessories were available in Canadian stores either, so we had to make do and be creative. Virtually all the bikes kids rode then were high-rise banana seat bikes. A few of us got wind of the BMX trend that was beginning to happen on the west coast, and we tried to get some of that happening for ourselves.
I had an old Stingray frame I got from a neighbor (Schwinn did not sell bikes in Canada then) I bought a set of new motorcycle MX handlebars from a shop (as you couldn't get bicycle bmx bars yet), they were too wide so I cut them to be narrower. I pried apart an old forged handlebar stem to get them to fit and made shims to clamp them. I had a short Schwinn spring fork from a 1965 Super/Deluxe Stingray and I got ahold of a Krate sissybar - with the shock - to use with my black banana seat. The rear tire I used was a 20x2.125 tractor grip, and the front was a 20x1.75 tractor grip. The frame was painted black and I used snowmobile waffle grips on the handlebars. This made up my home made BMXer in 1975.
In '74 or '75 I found a copy of one of the early BMX magazines (issue#1 as I recall),in a magazine store, and in it they had a story about the new Motomag wheels. In early '75 I wrote to the address that was listed in the article to enquire about prices and shipping. I eventually recieved a letter from "Skip" with the information, and as I recall he said they were the first Motomags to be sent to Canada. If I can find the letter I will post it. In those days of letter correspondence and mail shipping it took a long time for me to get those wheels in my hands.
What happened to the wheels? I still have them. The bike they eventually went on was a kustom bike(see below) that I made back at that time. In late '76 I painted the wheels gold. kustom bicycles were also big then, and I used to show them at custom car shows. The wheels are still in virtually unused condition, and are still on my old show bike.
I'll try and get a photo of the Simi wheel with the Patent# on it, and will post it to show. Thanks again.
03 June 2012 - 05:30 PM
Post #7
nonamecruiser, on 03 June 2012 - 12:09 PM, said:
Great story, amazing you kept the invoice and your show bike.
Thanks, I guess I'm a pack-rat. I wish I could find that original letter Skip sent me.
03 June 2012 - 06:13 PM
Post #8
That bike is super cool!
the invoices should be framed and hung in a pool room!
the invoices should be framed and hung in a pool room!
03 June 2012 - 10:58 PM
Post #9
OLDSKOOLPK, on 03 June 2012 - 01:13 PM, said:
That bike is super cool!
the invoices should be framed and hung in a pool room!
the invoices should be framed and hung in a pool room!
Thanks man. I guess I'm totally out of touch with how far early BMX collecting has gone. I never thought of these old invoices as anything but a curiosity that survived from my youth. I just figured I couldn't be the only person who kept their old sales slips from this time - with so many wheels sold? I thought the most interesting thing was the price of the wheels. Take care.
Are the Motomag 1s a lot more collectible than the 2s? I've also got a Motomag-2 front wheel that someone gave me a couple of years ago. They're fun to have.
John B.
03 June 2012 - 11:28 PM
Post #10
04 June 2012 - 05:43 AM
Post #11
maximum85, on 03 June 2012 - 06:28 PM, said:
crazy,only 3 bucks to ship a wheel,really cool you still have them.i was putting baseball cards in my spokes on my ross apollo in 75..
The Ross Apollos were cool bikes, very nice. I was 15 years old in 1975. Too young to drive, but old enough to have a little money for cool bike parts.
$30 was a lot of money to spend on a wheel at that time though. So I had to buy them separately to afford it.
John B.
04 June 2012 - 10:01 PM
Post #12
Here is a close up of my Motomag front wheel, showing the lettering.
05 June 2012 - 02:22 AM
Post #13
Man that bike was simply amazing. As was its condition and background. So many amazing bikes that get lost amongst tha madness ---- every bike should have its own thread and explanation - its such an awesome event to absorb and breathe in that's beyond explanation.
It even more amazing to talk to the builders, not just look at the bikes and really get a feel of the effort, passion and soul put into each and everyone.
Kudos !
It even more amazing to talk to the builders, not just look at the bikes and really get a feel of the effort, passion and soul put into each and everyone.
Kudos !
31 December 2012 - 02:14 AM
Post #14
31 December 2012 - 02:50 AM
Post #15
Your bike fuckin rules. I really dig the whole AEE chopper style that you went with and the Motomags really make it pop.
31 December 2012 - 03:49 AM
Post #17
If your last name is Brain you fuckin rule again. OMG!!! I really dig your bike man.
31 December 2012 - 04:42 AM
Post #19
Neat thread. And to answer your question, MM I's are considerably more rare and collectable than MM II's
Glad you kept them all these years.
Glad you kept them all these years.
01 January 2013 - 04:13 AM
Post #20
Not sure if John is still around these days... I remember this one though... What a great post. 
Funny, I also lived in Willowdale for almost 10 years. Oddly enough, I received the first complete Mongoose shipped outside the USA directly from Skip in 1976.
This would make the first Motomags and the very first complete Mongoose shipped outside the USA to both of us respectively.
Funny, I also lived in Willowdale for almost 10 years. Oddly enough, I received the first complete Mongoose shipped outside the USA directly from Skip in 1976.
This would make the first Motomags and the very first complete Mongoose shipped outside the USA to both of us respectively.
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